Clutch cone



Patented Feb., i923..

MARTIN B. OUVERT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CLUTCH GONE.

Application filed .Tune 4,

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN B. Covnirr, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county ofMarion, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clutch Cones, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention is concerned with clutches for power transmittingmechanism and is especially applicable to cone clutches of the typeemployed in motor vehicles driven by internal combustion engines.

@ne object of the invention is to construct a clutch cone which will belight in weight and extremely easy to operate.

Another object is to construct a clutch cone of sheet metal which willbe capable of retaining its original size and shape against distortingforces set up during its rotation and removal from engagement with thec0- operating clutch member.

Another object is to construct a thin sheet metal clutch cone providedwith a reinforcing ring secured to its periphery.

Another object is to construct a new and improved clutch cone brake.

Other Objects and the particular construction and corelation of parts bywhich all the objects are attained will be pointed out hereinafter.

Heretofore, in power transmitting mechanisni, the driven cone of a coneclutch has been made of either cast or sheet metal. The cast metal conesperform satisfactorily, but are thick and heavy and not entirelysuitable where light weight is desired. Consequently, sheet metal coneshave, to some extent, supplanted the cast metal cones, largely becauseof the lighter weight which correspondingly decreased the weight of thewhole clutch mechanism. In the case of motor vehicles such decreasedweight was a decided advantage.

I have discovered, however, that a still further and very importantadvantage, not previously known or obtained, can be had in sheet metalcones of proper construction.

The ordinary sheet metal cone is subjected, during rotation, to strongcentrifugal forces and to other inuences which cause it to distort. Whena cone clutch is being rotated at a high rate, as 2000 revolutions perminute, or more, considerable centrifugal force is exerted on theperipheral por- 1921. Serial No: 474,889.

substantially equal in all directions, small variations in eccentricmounting of the cone on its shaft, or even a little vibration in theshaft itself, may tend to localize these forces. The result then is adistortion of the cone periphery and a change in it from a circle to asubstantial ellipse, as is shown by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

It is also possible that pulling the hub or central portion of the coneagainst the clutch springs in retrac-ting the cone causes distortion ofthe periphery of the cone which would probably take place about asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Small inequalities in thicknesses of the clutch lining, as well as otherfactors, may also contribute to the cause or extent of distortion of thethin metal cone.

Whenever', for any or all of these or other reasons, the periphery ofthe cone is distorted, portions of it press so tightly against theclutch lining that considerable effort is required to retract the conein disengaging the clutch members. Failure, previously, to take intoconsideration the probability of distortion of sheet metal cones has,therefore, prevented the obtaining of full advantage of the lightweight, the only advantage actually enjoyed from their use being that asaving of a few pounds in weight.

A cone embodying my invention, on the other hand, possesses thepreviously obtained advantages of lightness and also, due to itsrigidity and resistance to distortion, the new and important advantageof eXtreme ease of operation. Since it does not distort, when rotated orretracted, it may be withdrawn from engagement with the other clutchmember by a force suiiicient only to overcome that of the clutchsprings. To illustrate, it has been found that, if a force of about e8lbs. on the foot pedal is required to disengage an ordinary sheet metalcone, rotating' at about 2000 revolutions per minute, only about l2 lbs.is needed to similarly move my improved cone.

This extreme ease of operation I attribute to suitably strengthening thecone whereby thickness or weight of certain A portions or a slightwhipping action, due to it becomes substantially rigid and capable ofresisting any strains tending to distort it.

In the drawings attached heretoand forming a part of thisspeciiication,lf have disclosed my invention as embodiedk in the power transmittingmechanism of a motor vehicle.

Figure 1 is a vertical view, partly in seetion, of a cone clutchembodying my invention.

E2 is a rear end elevation of an ordinarysheet metal cone, showing,greatly exaggerated, the distortion of the cone when subjected tocentrifugal and other distorting forces; and y Fig. 3is a section talrenon line 3 3 of lF ig.- 2, showing how the` distortion of theperipheraliportion of the cone may be distributed thereover.

1 designates a hollow transmission case or housing secured to the rearend of an internal combustion Vengine 2. A crank shaft 3, projectinginto this space enclosed by the housing and engine, carries an ordinarycast metal fly wheel 4. The rear side of this fly wheel is provided witha. conical surface to which is attached the usual clutch lining 5.

A shaftG, rotatably mounted in case 1 inalignment with crank shaft 3,has its forward end supported in a bushing 71L located in opening 7 inthe end of shaft 3. fliplines 8` on the shaft serve to permit movementof sleeve 9 on the shaft but prevent independent rotational movement ofthe sha-ft and sleeve.

Means for moving sleeve 9 lengthwise of shaft 6 comprises a ball race(not shown) provided with a cover 10 rotatably mounted on sleeve 9, arms11 engaging with coverl 1() andsecured to shaft 12 and a lever 13 foractuating the latter. Movement of the lever causes rotation of shaft 12,bringing arms 1l into contact with projections 10a on cover 1() andresulting in movement f sleeve 9 along shaft 6.

14 designates a thin` sheet metal clutch cone, attached to sleeve 9 andhaving its outer-.peripheral portion 15 conformable as to` size landshape with the conical surface of fly wheel 4. To strengthen thisportion and prevent deformation of it, l preferably se` cure to it areinforcing ring 16 by welding, riveting` or otherwise. This ring may,and perferably does, have an inwardly entending portion or flange 16?Lwhich, in addition to rendering ring 16 quite rigid and capable ofresisting distortional strains set up dur'- ing use, affords a. brakingsurface upon which brake 17 may bear. This bralre com prises a sheetmetal plate 17 provided at one end with suitable brake lining` material17 and secured at its other end to a saddle lcwhich is lreyed to shaft11. Rotation of this shaft to move sleeve 9 rearwardly on shaft 6 andthus retract cone 14 from en- 4 fly wheel 4, simultaneously tilts plate17 forwardly into engagement with flange 16i1 of cone 16. A smallcoilspring 19 serves to prevent vibration and humming of brake 17.

Cone 15 is maintainedin engagement with fiy wheel 4 by a series ofcompression springs 2O which press against the rear side of the cone andwhichare secured to a sheet metal disc 21 rotatably mounted on shaft 3.This disc has a cup-like ballv race 22, and plate 23 pressed into itscentral or hubV portion to carry bearings 24 and lubricant therefor. A,nut 25, having a tapered surface, furnishes the other necessary race forbearings 24.

Since springsQO are normally under compression, disc 21 maintains cone`14i11contact wili fly wheel 4 except whenj the.` cone is retracted by`lever 13 and arms 11.

Altho l have chosen to illustrate my invention by an embodiment suitablefor motor vehicle power mechanism, l do not wish to he understood `asthereby limiting myself to such particular structure since the inventionis applicable to cone clutches generally,

Numerous changes may obviously be made in the described modification.For instance, another form of reinforceing ring can be used and either`inside or outside of the cone. Also the driving cone may, incertaininstances, be composed of sheet metal which will require strengtheningas has been done here. All these and other obvious changes arecomprehended by my invention, the, scope of which is defined by what isclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. ln power transmitting mechanisml in combination, a driving member, adriven cone engageable therewith for receiving and transmitting powertherefrom, the said driven cone being formed of readily deformable metaland pro-vided with a substantially rigid, reinforcing annular membersecured to its peripherey.

9,. ln a power transmitting mechanism in combination, a driving member,ak driven cone normally engaging therewith, the said driven cone` beingformed of sheet metal and having a substantially rigidreinforcing ringsecured thereto, means for retracting. the driven cone from engagementwith the driving cone, and bralremeaiis actuated simultaneously with theaforesaid means for engaging the said reinforcingring when the drivencone is in retracted position.

3. ln a power transmittingr mechanism in combination, a driving cone, adriven cone cngageable therewith, the driven cene being formed of sheet`metal with a peripherally located reinforcing ring secured thereto.means for retractingthe said driven cone from engagement with thedrivingcone, and bralre engageable with vthe said ring` when the driven. coneis in retractedpositiom 4. ln a power transmitting mechanism in gagementwith combination, a driving cone, a driven cone engageable therewith,the driven cone being formed of sheet metal and having secured to itsperiphery a reinforcing ring comprising` an inwardly extending flange,means for retracting the driven cone from engagement with the drivingcone, a brake engageahle With the said flange when the said driven coneis in a retracted position and a tension spring secured to the saidbrake.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a Sheet metal clutch cone having aSubstantially rigid reinforcing ring secured to the periphery thereof.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

MARTIN B. COVERT.

